Glaittli

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Brechtje Jacobsen

Descendants of Cornelis Cornelius Segerszen VanVoorhout

Generation No. 1

CORNELIS CORNELIUS SEGERSZEN VAN VOORHOUT born inHolland, and died in Rensselaerswyck, Albany, NY.He married BRECHJE JACOBSE.

Notes for CORNELIS SEGERSZEN VAN VOORHOUT:Cornelius's father is possibly Seger Van Edgmondin Voorhout in Holland born abt 1573. Cornelis hadalso made a contract with Patroon van Rensselaer,25 Aug 1643. He sailed for America in Sep 1643 onthe Rensselaerwyck, when he was about 44 yearsold, with his wife, Brechje Jacobsen, 45 yearsold, and 6 children:Cornelis, 22; Claes, 20; Seger, 14; Lysbeth, 16;Jannetie, 10, and Neeltie, 8.He became a farmer in Rensselaerwyck, leasing twofarms on CastleIsland, NY.Van Voorhoudt/Egmont is somewhat of a mystery.The Egmont was a famous family in the Netherlandsin the 16th century. There is a village namedEgmont NW of Amsterdam on the coast. CountLamoral Egmont opposed King Philip of Spain in histakeover attempts of Holland. For his political"crimes" he was beheaded in 1568. Some surmisethat a part of this family took the name VanVoorhoudt from the town of the same name (not farfrom Egmont in the Netherlands) so as to avoid thenotoriety of the Egmont name. Cornelis Segersadopted that name and used it during the earlyyears in NN.

>From the "Collections of the History of Albany,>From it's Discovery to the Present Time" by J.Munsel "Segers is the surname of a family inAlbany which in earlier times was called VanVoorhoudt. Cornelis Segerse Van Voorhoudt, thefirst settler, came to Beverwyck in 1642, andsucceeded Vander Donck on the farm calledWelysburgh, on Castle Island."

The property on Castle Island was occupied forseveral decades by members of the family, bycontract with and lease from the directors ofRensselaerswyck, of which the island was a part.Cornelis Segers and his sons appear frequently insuch published works as the Van RensselaerBowier Manuscripts, the Correspondence ofJeremias van Rensselaer, the correspondence ofMaria van Rensselaer, the Early Records of Albany,the court minutes of Rensselaerswyck, the 2volumes of court minutes of Fort Orange andBeverwyck and court minutes of Albany,Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady.

Vol. 1 of "The Early Records of the City andCounty of Albany and Colony ofRensellaerswyck 1656-1675" by Jonathan Pearson,contains several referencesto Cornelis Segerse Van Voorhoudt: pages 51 (anauction for a house and lot in 1657 where Corneliswas the highest bidder), 64 (buying a cow in1664), 79 (highest bidder on a mare in 1665), 250(house and land document of 1659 - here he signshis name "Cornelis Zeegerzoon" which is a variantof the patronymic Seegersz.), 288 (house and landdocument of 1660 - here he signs "CornelisSeegerzeen"), 499 (Cornelise Cornelise VanVoorhoudt is a witness for a 1668 document)

According to Christoph in his book "Bradt: ANorwegian Family in ColonialAmerica" there are many court records involvingthis family. CornelisSegerse Van Voorhoudt was involved in slandercharges and assault chargesin 1648, 1649 and 1650.In Oct 1648 Cornelis was obliged to retractderogatory comments about Andries de Vos, as wellas remarks he had made to the effect that JanBarentsen Wemp was "a rascal, a thief and thegreatest liar in the colony."A year late Court records show him in a fight witha former employee, and the year after that,slashing a man in the face with a glass.In January 1650, Cornelis was charged in withassaulting Rensselaerwyck director Brant VanSlichtenhorst.Cornelis refused to pay his rent year after yeareven though he was leasing the most valuableproperty in Rensselaerwyck and was doing quitewell-with 13 horses and 22 cows. The rent was1,210 florins and in Mar 1652 van Slichtenhorstwent with a court order to collect-either cash orgrain. Cornelis nailed the door to the grain loftshut and could not be reached.

Notes for BRECHJE JACOBSE:Brechtie Jacobs signed an agreement dated 27 June1662 arising over the death of Seger Cornelis.This is than from 'Early Records of the City andCounty of Albany and Colony of Rensselaerswyck',Vol. 3 translated by Jonathan Pearson, edited byAJF Van Laer. p. 166. In this document, therelatives of the late Seger Cornelissen VanVoorhout, agree not to prosecute AndriesHerbertsen Constapel for his part in the death.The family group named is Cornelis Segerse vanVoorhout and wife Brechtie Jacobsz CH: SegerCornelisz van Voorhout, deceased, and wifeJannetie Theuniszdr. van Vechten with her fatherTheunis Dirkse Van Vechten, and her brother DirckTheunisz Van Vechten. Cornelis Cornelisz vanVoorhout. Jannetie Cornelisz van Voorhout andhusband Jacob Schermerhorn. Neeltie Cornelise vanVoorhout and husband Hans Carlsz. Lysbet Cornelisevan Voorhout and husband Francois Boon.